If the outcome of these battles had been different, the world as we know it today would be drastically different. As the adage goes, you may have won the battle, but you haven’t yet secured victory in the war. In spite of this, battles have been decisive in winning wars on numerous occasions throughout history, whether for one side or the opposing. Here are 10 battles that have changed the course of our lives and continue to do so today: It is possible that if they had been won by the other side, the victors would have had completely different ideas about how the world should be governed and what culture should be adopted.
#10. The Battle of Muye (1046 B.C.E.)
The Battle of Muye is a classic example of a force overcoming overwhelming odds and completely altering the course of human history. When an army of approximately 50,000 soldiers from the Zhou tribe faced off against more than 500,000 soldiers from the ruling Shang Dynasty, they were completely outnumbered. But it was the Zhou tribe that ultimately overcame the Shang Dynasty soldiers, in part because a large number of soldiers from the ruling power defected to their side, allowing the Zhou troops to defeat the Shang troops. The Shang Dynasty, for example, provided weapons to 170,000 slaves in order to aid in the defense of the capital city of Yin. The fact that they were opposed to the rulers because of their corruption (slavery may have played a role in this as well) resulted in them assisting the Zhou troops in winning the Battle of Muye, which ultimately led to the end of the Shang Dynasty.
#9. The Battle of Marathon (490 B.C.E.)
Soldiers from the Greek army fought against Persian invaders sent by King Darius I in 490 BC. Roughly 20,000 soldiers from the Persian army were dispatched to Greece in retaliation for the ancient Greeks’ support for the Ionians, who had revolted against the Persians and were battling the Persians. The Battle of Marathon is depicted in this scene. Despite the fact that they were outnumbered, the Greeks were able to drive the Persian forces back. More than 6,000 Persian soldiers were defeated, whereas only 200 Greek soldiers were defeated. Due to the fact that it was the first time the Greeks had defeated the Persians, and because it demonstrated to the ancient Greeks that the Persians could be defeated, the battle was a watershed moment in the Greco-Persian Wars. While it is true that a messenger ran from Athens to Marathon before the battle, the idea for the marathon race as a part of our modern Olympics came about as a result of a misrepresentation of the messenger running from Athens to Sparta before the battle.
#8. The Battle of Thermopylae (480 B.C.E.)
The 300, a Hollywood blockbuster from 2006, depicted a largely fictionalized account of the Battle of Thermopylae, which has recently gained widespread public attention. According to historical records, the actual battle involved more than 300 Spartans, with estimates putting the number of soldiers at closer to 2,000. The soldiers included Spartans, Helots, Thebans, and Thespians. These troops defended Thermopylae, a narrow coastal pass, from the armies of the Persian King Xerxes, who marched through the area. Despite the fact that the Spartan forces were vastly outnumbered, they were able to buy time for Greek reinforcements to arrive and drive the Persian army back. In the eyes of historians, it stands as a superb example of how to strategically utilize terrain to a force’s advantage while also demonstrating the strength of a patriotic army in defense of its home country.
#7. The Battle of Arbela (331 B.C.E.)
The Battle of Arbela, also known as the Battle of Gaugamela, was the most significant victory in Alexander the Great’s campaign of conquest, and it was this victory that ultimately resulted in the fall of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. Despite the fact that the Persian army was backed by war elephants, Alexander the Great was victorious due to his tactical prowess and the intelligent use of light infantry. One of Darius III’s own subjects was assassinated after the Persian king was defeated in battle: Bessus, the province’s governor. Darius III was the ruler of Persia at the time of his assassination. Upon learning of Darius III’s betrayal, Alexander the Great is said to have been deeply distressed. He then tracked down and executed Bessus, who had betrayed his worthy adversary, Alexander the Great.
#6. The Battle of Zama (202 B.C.E.)
Among the greatest military leaders in history is the Carthaginian general Hannibal, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. However, despite the fact that his marching of 80 war elephants across the Alps and Pyrenees is the stuff of legends, it was ultimately detrimental to his campaigns and the lives of his soldiers. The Battle of Zama is widely regarded as General Hannibal’s most humiliating defeat. In large part, this was due to ingenious tactics employed by Roman troops, who discovered that using loud horns, they could distract and scare the Carthaginian war elephants away from their objective. Upon seeing the elephants charging towards them, the Roman troops opened their ranks, allowing the animals to pass through before chasing them away.
#5. The Battle of Tours (732 C.E.)
Tours was the site of the Battle of Tours, which was also known as the Battle of Poitiers. An invading Muslim army, led by Spain’s Moorish General Abd-er Rahman, successfully crossed the Western Pyrenees and reached Tours, France, in an attempt to expand its influence further into Europe. The Frankish forces of Charles “The Hammer” Martel, on the other hand, met the Muslim forces head-on and defeated them. Unfortunately, there are no historical documents from the time period that allow us to determine the precise location of the battle or the number of soldiers who participated. What is known, however, is that the Frankish troops were victorious in the battle despite the absence of cavalry. Many historians have argued that if Abd-er Rahman had been victorious, Islam would have risen to become the dominant religion throughout Europe.
#4. The Battle of Hastings (1066 C.E.)
The French were victorious at the siege of Orleans, France, in 1429, in large part due to the efforts of the now-famous teenage peasant Joan of Arc, who, according to legend, was inspired to fight in the Hundred Years’ War after having a vision of God while she was a teenager. Joan was able to enter Orlean with supplies thanks to the use of diversionary tactics by the French troops against the English besieging forces. In the following week, several important English forts were stormed, effectively ending what had appeared to be a successful six-month siege of the city of London. The victory also changed the course of the Hundred Years’ War for France, and it is now regarded as a watershed moment in the country’s victory over the English. According to current thinking, the battle saved France from centuries of English control.
#3. The Battle of Vienna (1683 C.E.)
A time when the Hapsburg Empire and the Ottoman Turks were vying for control of central Europe and the control of Hungary, The Battle of Vienna signaled the beginning of the end for Turkish dominance in Eastern Europe and the beginning of the end for Turkish dominance in Eastern Europe. It marked the first time that the Commonwealth and the Holy Roman Empire worked together in opposition to the Ottoman Turks. History scholars believe that the battle marked a watershed moment in the Ottoman-Habsburg wars, a 300-year conflict between the Holy Roman and Ottoman empires that began in 1516. If the Ottoman Empire had been victorious, it is possible that they would have continued to rule and exert their influence over Europe. The battle is also notable for the largest known cavalry charge in history, which occurred during the battle. The charge, which was led by the Polish Winged Hussars and included 20,000 cavalry units, was instrumental in breaking the siege and bringing the army to its feet.
#2. The Siege of Yorktown (1781 C.E.)
When the British surrendered at Yorktown, it was a watershed moment in the eventual formation of the United States. It was during the Siege of Yorktown that American and French troops defeated British forces under the command of General Charles Cornwallis, resulting in one of the most significant battles of the Revolutionary War. At Yorktown, the Revolutionary War came to a close with the last major land battle of the war. The victory of George Washington’s American Continental Army troops was declared not long after the battle ended in victory. Cornwallis was captured as well, paving the way for the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which brought the war to a close and resulted in the formation of the United States of America.
#1. The Battle of Waterloo (1815)
Napoleon Bonaparte’s final and most humiliating defeat occurred at the Battle of Waterloo. It effectively brought an end to the French statesman’s va
SOURCES:
- Gregory S. Aldrete. The Decisive Battles of World History. (The Great Courses, 2014)
- Edward Shepherd Creasy. The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World: from Marathon to Waterloo (1851)
- F.C. Fuller. Decisive Battles of the U.S.A, 1776-1918 (Bison Books, 2007)